Thursday, October 21, 2010

cone 10 down - 7th glaze firing

After a weekend glazing marathon I loaded the kiln yesterday morning before work, came home after work and lit the pilots at 9pm - woke up today and fired til 6:25pm. I usually haven't candled the kiln overnight - simply because I don't sleep well when I'm worrying a pilot might blow out. But I wanted to move the kiln along today so my new apprentice Amy could experience much of the firing.

It was a wild ride - with a brief power outage (I have forced air burners) and a 20 minute hail storm - but the kiln chugged right a long and I will look forward to unloading her on Saturday.







This was my perch for most of the day - watching the sky and staying tuned in to the kiln. I am firing with more confidence each time.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Pumpkin Love

I need to explore my love of pumpkins. Sit down and sketch their perfect little bodies. I love this time of year when the farm stands are blazing orange. In this photo - I am the 3 1/2 year old hugging my pumpkin.

In a recent interview with friend and fellow blogger, Melinda Baughman - you can read a little more about what I'm working on these days:
Autumn Olive Blog Interview

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Home Thrown


There is a lovely exhibition at Pinch Gallery in Northampton, MA that opened last night. Twenty four local potters have a dinnerware display on one long 24' table. Come see what the Asparagus Valley Potters have going on! Quality, variety, wood, soda, porcelain, stoneware, low fired and high fired. All made with love.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Teaching

“A good teacher must not only know what she teaches, but also be able to set afire her students’ interest and dedication. Such a spark does not generate itself alone; no, the teacher has to be aflame herself. She must not only know but must love her profession passionately.” – Marguerite Wildenhain
“The Invisible Core”
Thanks to Kit Cornell, I recently had the opportunity to teach an afternoon, hands-on workshop at Kit's studio in Exeter, NH. I apprenticed with Kit back in 1997-2000 and felt right at home in her studio. It was a great opportunity to try teaching a short workshop, rather than the usual 2 or 3 hour class that meets one a week.

Eight women gathered around as I threw and altered a rectangular casserole on the wheel, and then onto two hand-building projects. After a quick demonstration of my hand-built trays and soap dishes - the students then tried some new techniques using paper templates and texture to work on a small tray themselves.

I really enjoy teaching and look forward to making my way back to a classroom someday. I used to teach at the Amherst community arts center, but unfortunately they closed last year. For now, my home studio can accommodate one or two students for more of a private lesson. Students do make a lot of progress with one-on-one attention - but the energy of having a full class of 6 or 8 students is really fun.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Fuller Museum Trip

The Asparagus Valley Potters' Guild took a day trip to the Fuller Museum last week for the Warren MacKenzie traveling exhibition. My good friend Kit Cornell, whom I apprenticed with many years ago, joined us for the trip and spent a few days visiting with me. We really enjoyed time to talk on the bus and back at home over a bowl of soup and a glass of wine.

I will be taking this weekend, the first of a new year and new decade - to reflect on my work from the past year and set some intentions for the coming months. What pots will I make? What shows will I apply to? When will I make time to play in the studio and let my forms evolve? What new glazes will I discover?